Fish grab



' kn, zo, 1925.

W. N. DOTY FISH GRAB Filed May 10, 1924 Patented dan, 2l), 1925.

' l El E WILLIAM N. DOTY, 0F CLRKSVLLE, IOWA.

FXSH

Application filed May 10,

To all ui/wm t may concer/n Be it known that l, VWILLIAII N. Dori, a citizen or the United States, residing at Clarksville, in the county of Butler and State of lowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish Grabs, of which the iollowing is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

T his invention relates to gaii's such as are used in fishing, and particularly to what are known as lish grabs, that is instruments having spring actuated hooks lfor gatling the ish after the fish has been caught by hook and line.

VEhe general object of the invention is to provide a very simple, readily operated and eli'ecti-ve gait' of this character which is so constructed that the fish cannot possibly get oil' the gait' after once being caught.

A further object is to provide a device oi this character which may be readily set and in which contact with'the fish will cause the release or the jaws, the spring then acting to torce the aws together with great torce so as to properly gail the fish.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement ot' parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying dra-wings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of a iish grab constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly insection of the fish grab showing the jaws closed;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but showing the aws opened;

Figure i is a fragmentary section at the intersection of one of the jaws with the latch, showing the spring for urging the latch downward;

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that 10 designates the shank of the gat?, this shank at one end being provided with a socket or ferrule 11. A nut or like member 12 constituting ar shoulder is disposed at one end of this shank at its junction with the ferrule 11. A pole 13 may be inserted in the terrule of any desired length.

The end of the shank remote from the shoulder 12 is bifurcated, as at 14, and pivoted in this bifurcated shank are the two jaws 15 and 16. These jaws are substantially alike, each jaw consisting' of a straight GRAB.

1924. Serial No. 712,329.

portion extending out fully the length of .the jaw, and then the jaws are curved, as at 1T, and terminate in sharp points 18. l ust below the point where the curve outward or bow Aoutward the jaws are thickened and longitudinally slotted, as at 19', and the jaw 16 is formed just below this slot with the outwardly projecting stop or stud 20. Pivotally mounted in one of these slots, as by means o1 the pivot 21, is the latch 22, which latch is somewhat arcuate in Shape and at one end is cut away so as to accommodate a spring 23 lwhich acts to force the latch outward. The opposite end ofthe latch passes through the slot v19 in the jaw 16 and is provided with the somewhat elongated head 24. Inward ot this head the upper face voi. the shank is cut away so as to provide a shoulder 25 which, when the jaws are opened, bears against the inner face o1c the jaw 15 and thus holds the jaws spread apa-rt, the spring 28 acting' to torce the latch upward and rthe shoulder inoperative engagement with the jaw 16. l

Slidably mounted upon the shank 10 is a sleeve 26 which iswiiormed with a shoulder 2T having outwardly projecting handle 28, and disposed between the shoulder 12 and the shoulder 27 is a relatively strong coiled compression spring 29. The upper end of this sleeve is longitudinally slotted at diametrically opposite points, as at 30, and at the extren'iity of the sleeve there is provided atransversely extending pin 31 extending at rightranglesto the plane ot the slots 30. lvhen the jaws are closed, as shown in Fig ure 2, the stop lug 20 bears against this pin 31 and also bears against the opposite jaw so that the aws will not strike.

In order to set this instrument, Jthe spring may be forced down by means of the handles 2S, which will loosen the aws, and then the jaws may be moved apart from each other by any suitable means, as by pulling the jaws apart until the shoulder 25 engages against the jaw 16. lt now the implement be forced against a ish as, tor instance, against the head of a fish which has been caught on a line which is being pulled in, the latch 22 will be forced inward, thus releasing the jaws, and the spring 29 will Ytorce the sleeve ujiward. causing the jaws to close with great force and impaling the fish upon the pointed jaws.

It is also possible to set this fish grab by passing the jaws through a slotted board and pressing down on the handle orpole 13. Another manner of setting the construction is Vto hold the instrument firmly Vin one hand with the ierrule placed between the two 'torengers of the other hand, with the lugs at the opposite end, and pull against v the coiled spring to set it.

' com risino a shank This invention is very simple, may be easily operated, is easily released by a very slight pressure against the head of a iish, and has been found thoroughly effective in practice. It will be noted that the nutl2 is adjustable so as to increase or decrease the tension of spring 29.

l claim l. A vish grab ot the character described a pair of jaws pivoted to the upper end ot the shank, said jaws being formed 4with outwardly curved portions terminating in points, the jaws being slotted, a latch pivoted in the slot ot one of said jaws and extending slidingly through the slot of the other jaw, the latch having a shoulder engaging the last named jaw to thereby hold the jaws expanded, a spring urging the latch outward into its latching position, a sleeve mounted upon the shank and having handles whereby the sleeve may be shifted, and a spring operatively supported at one end upon the shank and at the other end operatively bearing against said sleeve to urge it outward.

2. A ish grab of the character described comprising a shank, a pair of j aws pivoted to the upper'end o'l' the shank, said jaws being formed with outwardly curved portions terminating in points, the jaws being slotted, a latch pivoted in the slot of one oi? said jaws and ot' the 'other jaw, the latch having a shoulder engaging'the last named jaw to thereby hold the jaws expanded, thel sleeve beingv longitudinally slotted atY its extremity and the extending through the slot 1 bases of the jaws passing through said slots, there being a pin extending through the ex` treme end of the slotted sleeve outward of the jaws and one orsaid jaws having a stop lug which, when the jaws are closed, engages against said pin, and a spring surrounding the shank and operatively supported upon the shank at one end and atthe other operatively bearing against said sleeve and urging it outward, the sleeve being pro vided with handles whereby it may be shifted inward against the force of said spring.

B. A fish grab of the character described comprising a shank a pair of jaws pivoted in said biiurcated end or the shank, each oi said jaws having a straight portion and an outwardly curved portion terminating in a point, the straight portions oi' the jaws being slotted, a latch pivoted in one of said slots and extending through the other slot, the Ylatch being and vith a shoulder on its outer edge, a spring urging the latch out-ward, a sleeve surrounding theshank, the sleeve at its outer end being slotted to accommodate said jaws and one of the jaws being provided with aninwardly projecting stop and the sleeve being provided with a transversely .extending pin engaging saidstop when the jaws are closed and the sleeve forced outward to thereby limit the outward move"- ment of the sleeve, the shank being provided at one end with a shoulder, and a spring disposed between the shoulder and the sleeve and urging the sleeve outward, the sleeve being provided with handles whereby it may be drawninward against the action ot said spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

bifurc-ated at one end, Y

provided at its i'ree end with a head` wiLLiAM N. Dofrr. Y i 

